Car-coupling



No Model.)

0. SGHLEIGHER GAR COUPLING. No. 433,043. Patented July 29, 1890.

3 15706737774 fly UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES SCIILEICHER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,043, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed January 6, 1890. Serial No. 336,108. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES ScHLEIcHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, county of J etferson, and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Automatic Gar-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates toimprovementsin carcouplers, in which a laterally-swinging hook, hinged to the draw-bar at and to one of the wings of the draw-bar, is constructed to engage with a corresponding hook of the drawbar of another car, each of the said hooks while thus engaged being held in place by a tumbler moved forward in the draw-bar bya suitable spring, the hooks being next disengaged and the coupling destroyed by throw ing one of the tumblers out of engagement wit-h its corresponding hook by means of a lever actuated from the side of the car, and the draw-bar being further provided with a coupling-pin, which is to be used should the coupling be made by means of a link-connection. When to be used, it is set into a hole in the draw-bar, where it stands upon the tumbler. \Vhen the link is passed into the draw-bar, it forces the tumbler back, the pin falls into position, and the link is held. \Vhen not in use, the pin is carried in a hole con structed through the hinge of the hook and draw-bar, where it strengthens the joint. I attain this by the mechanism shown in the following drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the coupler. Fig. 2 is a section of the same on the line 00 0c of Fig. 3, the stem of the tumbler, however, not being in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the coupler.

A is a draw-bar recessed to receive the tumbler (J, and sufliciently so to allow the tumbler a movement forward and backward, the draw-bar being further doubly recessed to receive the hinge of the hook, the said hinge being provided with hubs or shoulders 011 both sides to fit into said recesses and form a hinge-joint without the intervention of a hinge-pin, the hole I being constructed transversely through said joint and adapted to receive the pin P when not used in the hole D for the purpose of making a link-coupling.

The hook B, hinged as aforesaid into the draw-bar A, is so constructed as to its hinge that it will interlock with the head of the tumbler O, and cannot be drawn forward again until the tumbler, by a movement independent of the hook, is withdrawn from engagement with it.

The tumbler C is constructed to fit snugly into the draw-bar, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided on the inner end wit-h a stem which in turn supports a spiral spring S, caught between the tumbler proper and the head H, the tumbler being provided with the prong T on its under surface, the prong extending downward through a slot in the draw-bar. The tumbler is allowed a movement forward to cover, at least in part, the hole D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The lever R passes transversely under the car, and is composed of a suitable crank V, attached to the shaft 0, said shaft being provided with the weighted arm Z and the leverarm \V, the last adapted to act between the pins of the prong T.

The pin P is insertible in the holes D and I.

My invention is operated as follows: hen the two draw-bars of the cars to be coupled are brought together, the hook of each, striking the curved surface of the draw-bar opposite the hinge, slips down this inclined plane, and when they have become interlocked the inner end of each hook pressing back its corresponding tumbler C until by the hooks rotary movement its inner end is no longer in front of the tumbler O, and this, thus disengaged, is driven forward by the spring S, the hook and tumbler become locked, and the coupling becomes complete. Before this coupling can be made automatically the hooks must be in nearly the position indicated by the fine dotted lines marked 13, and it may be further said that should the spring S be broken or dispensed with the action of the lever B may be substituted. In that event the weighted arm Z, overbalancing the lever-arm V, forces it against the prong T. This, in conjunction with the tumbler C, is given a tendency to move forward just as the spring S gives the same tendency. To uncouple the draw-bars, the lever B is turned by means of the crank V. This movement throws the lever-arm V against the prong at its inner arm.

The tumbler C is thus forced back, the hook is relieved from engagement, and the coupling is destroyed.

If it is desired to couple my draw-bar to a link-coupling, the hook is first thrown into or nearly into the position shown in full dotted lines (see Fig. 1) marked B. The pin P is then taken from the hole I, Where it is carried when not in use, where it serves the purpose of strengthening the hook-joint, and inserted into the hole D until its point rests on the tumbler 0. As the link from the other car comes into the wings of the draw-bar, its end presses against the tumbler-head, the tumbler v isforced back, and the pin loses its support and drops through until brought up by its head. It is now through the link.L and holds it to place. The couplingpin P may also be used to look the hook B when the tumbler or some of its attachments are destroyed. In that case the pin inserted in the hole D looks with the inner end of the hook B.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as my own, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of a draw-bar recessed in its stem to receive and permit a free backward and for- Ward movement to a tumbler inclosed therein, there also being therein a head H, between which and the tumbler a spring is inclosed, the draw-bar being further doubly recessed in one of its wings to receive and engage the hubs or shoulders of the hinge of a couplinghook, the said hook hinged into the wing of the draw-bar and adapted to engage at one end with a tumbler and at the other with the corresponding hook of another draw-bar, the draw-bar and hook being pierced transversely through the hinge to receive a coupling-pin, a tumbler adapted to engage with the inner end of the hook and hold it in position until le er-arm adapted to work in a prong attached to the tumbler and move it forward or backward, and a Weighted arm adapted by its weight to overbalance the lever-shaft and keep the lever-arm pressed against the forward arm of the prong on the tumbler, and a coupling-pin adapted to be inserted in a hole pierced transversely through the drawbar and intended to interlock with any suitable coupling-link attached to the draw-bar of another car, and when not used for purposes of coupling to be inserted into the perforation through the joint of the hook and serves to strengthen said joint, all substantially as described.

2. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of the draw-bar A, into which is arranged a hook B, the construction giving a hinge attachment and allowing the hook to turn through an angle of one hundred and,

move the tumbler C backward or forwardv in the draw-bar A, and the couplingpin P' adapted to be inserted either in the hole I or hole D-if in the former, for the purpose of adding strength to the hook-joint, if in the latter, to engage a coupling-link or to lock the hook in a coupling, when the tumbler by some defect cannot serve that purpose, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES SCIILEICHER.

In presence of E. B. WALKER, HERMAN BUERK. 

